What is the difference between Toward and Towards?

Rene   Wed Nov 07, 2007 4:03 pm GMT
Towards doesn't rhyme with cords for me. The w has a definite presence. I don't know what part of the US that guy was from.
Guest   Wed Nov 07, 2007 4:09 pm GMT
It seemed a quite aberrant pronounciation of Towards. I find the English phonetics very difficult, and when I read that Towards is pronounced that way I was even scared.
Travis   Wed Nov 07, 2007 4:20 pm GMT
>>I'm pretty sure you're in the minority on all these. 'Forwards', 'backwords' and 'towards' are all common here. I think the ones with final <s> imply motion to me "I'm going forwards" vs. "Face forward".
'Towards' was /tOrdz/ until fairly recently, but /t@wOrdz/ is much more common today. It was originally a spelling pronunciation, but it's established now (and not just in the UK).<<

At least here, "towards" is ["t_hwO:Rts], which probably reflects /t@wOrdz/ but with shortening down to a single syllable via elision.

>>I've never said "forwards" in my life and honesty it's the first time I come across such word.
I say "toward" "backward" "forward" "while" but "amongst".<<

I myself actually normally use "towards", "backwards", and "forwards" and only sporadically use "toward", "backward", and "forward" in actual everyday speech. As for "while" and "amongst", I normally strongly prefer "while" over "whilst" but at the same time very frequently use "amongst" (probably moreso than "among") in everyday speech.
Damian in Edinburgh   Wed Nov 07, 2007 4:22 pm GMT
I should have mentioned the word "untoward" which really IS used in normal speech - no S involved. When something untoward happens it means some event which was unexpected.
Lo   Wed Nov 07, 2007 5:30 pm GMT
<<Towards doesn't rhyme with cords for me. The w has a definite presence. I don't know what part of the US that guy was from.>>

Born in New York City, lived there until I was five when I moved to Southern Boston, until I was 15 and now live in Laguna Niguel, California.
Stanley   Thu Nov 08, 2007 8:18 pm GMT
British usage is definitely with "s" for forward, backward, and toward. American usage is more ambivalent but no "s" seems to be widely preferred. Some Yanks like myself play it by ear.

The strict British rule becomes a little untoward in some instances like "forward march" and other instances like those cited above.

Anyone that systematically drops the "s" avoids such lignusitic turbulence.